Thursday, December 11, 2008

The Easiest Way To Reduce Stress

By Don Raemond

I admit exercise is not the most exciting subject to think about. But regular exercise will help you reduce stress in your life, which will improve your sense of well being and lead to a more enjoyable life experience. If you haven't been exercising regularly, overcoming procrastination is the hardest part.

Reducing stress is a good reason to get the ball rolling. Think about how often you've heard someone say about an ailment, "it's just stress related". People have a tendency to laugh stress off, but the truth is, too much stress in your life can lead to illness and disease. So an exercise program to reduce stress should be one of THE most important priorities in your life.

Exercise will help strengthen your immune system and bring your stress level down. Even simple activities like stretching, walking, jogging or hiking will strengthen your heart, lungs and muscles and increase your endurance.

Walking may be the best exercise choice for most people. No equipment or membership is necessary and you can do it almost anywhere. Walking can be a very enjoyable activity, especially if you recruit a partner and go out for a walk with the intention of enjoying each others company. Walking with a friend will make the activity something you'll look forward to.

Slowly pick up the pace of your workout to make your walk even more beneficial to your health. Walk a bit faster and a bit farther every week. Walking might just be the best overall activity there is if you do it with a purpose. That means you should challenge yourself and maintain your target heart rate for approximately 20 minutes. If you don't know your what your target heart rate is, you can find out by doing a search on the internet. Pick up a high quality heart rate monitor so you can monitor your heart rate while you walk.

Make sure to do some basic stretching before you walk for the purpose of loosening up the muscles in your neck, shoulders and legs. Doing so will start the blood flowing and help to prevent unwanted injuries.

There are a variety of activities that you could choose that will help reduce stress in your life. But walking is easy and inexpensive. It's an activity that allows you to get your workout in fast, and that's important if you are on a tight schedule. You can do your stretches and your walk, in as little as 30-35 minutes. Surely you can find a half an hour a day for something that will make you healthier.

Even if you have to settle for a short walk occasionally, the exercise and socializing will definitely reduce stress over time. So grab a pair of comfy shoes and a heart rate monitor, and walk as often as you can. It will reduce stress levels, and it will make you feel wonderful. - 16463

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